Lecture 5 - Sorghum and Millets

Question 1

Sorghum botanical name

Answer 1

Sorghum bicolor L.

Question 2

Sorghum family name

Answer 2

poaceae

Question 3

sorghum genus

Answer 3

sorghum

Question 4

Sorghum ploidy

Answer 4

2n=20

Question 5

t/f: sorghum is a cross pollinating species

Answer 5

false, self pollinating

Question 6

center of diversity for sorghum

Answer 6

Ethiopia

Question 7

wild progenitor of sorghum

Answer 7

sorghum verticilliflorum, an African tropical forest grass

Question 8

what colour was the original variety of sorghum

Answer 8

purple or red

Question 9

Top world producer of sorghum

Answer 9

sudan

Question 10

physical description of sorghum

Answer 10

height of 60-460cm
long and wide leaves grow off the stalk

Question 11

sorghum seed is _____ and _______

Answer 11

small and round

Question 12

what type of climate does sorghum prefer

Answer 12

hot (30C) dry climate

Question 13

what type of soil does sorghum grow on

Answer 13

all types of soil, except saline and waterlogged. Best soil is heavy, loamy soils

Question 14

t/f: sorghum grows well in areas with high summer rainfall

Answer 14

f

Question 15

sorghum, pearl millet, and maize in order of best drought tolerance

Answer 15

pearl>sorghum>maize

Question 16

how is sorghum planted

Answer 16

mostly sown by broadcasting or row spacing

Question 17

row spacing for sorghum

Answer 17

30cm for fodder or 45-60cm for seed production

Question 18

seeding rate for sorghum

Answer 18

32-35kg/acre for fodder crop
6-8kg/acre for grain production

Question 19

when do you harvest sorghum

Answer 19

when seed moisture is 17-20% for seed
50% heading stage for fodder crop

Question 20

how long does sorghum take to mature

Answer 20

75 days -140 days

Question 21

how are hybrid sorghum seed produced

Answer 21

2 male fertile pollen parent rows are in centre, with male sterile seed parent rows on either side

Question 22

major insect of sorghum

Answer 22

green bug - type of aphid that sucks juices from and injects toxin into plants

Question 23

major disease of sorghum

Answer 23

anthracnose - effects leaves, stems, peduncles, and grain

Question 24

how is green bug controlled in sorghum

Answer 24

some hybrids have genetic resistance

Question 25

control of anthracnose in sorghum

Answer 25

reduce inoculum and host resistance

Question 26

panicle diseases of sorghum

Answer 26

covered smut
loose smut
head smut

Question 27

where is millet a staple cereal

Answer 27

Africa and India

Question 28

where was sorghum domesticated

Answer 28

southern edge of Sahara, west of the Nile

Question 29

t/f: millet is a cross pollinating species

Answer 29

t

Question 30

where is millet suited to grow

Answer 30

regions where rainfall is insufficient for sorghum

Question 31

millet is a _____ cereal grain

Answer 31

C4

Question 32

millet ploidy

Answer 32

2n=14

Question 33

growth period of millet

Answer 33

2.5-4 months

Question 34

what temp does millet mature at

Answer 34

above 30C

Question 35

t/f: millet has the highest growth rate among all cereals

Answer 35

t

Question 36

diseases of pearl millet

Answer 36

pearl millet rust
blast
downy millet
ergot
striga

Question 37

insects of pearl millet

Answer 37

chinch bug and false chinch bug

Question 38

seed colors of millet

Answer 38

creamy white, light-dark brown, blue/gray, purple

Question 39

nutritional profile of millet

Answer 39

amino acids similar to small grains
protein and some vitamins deficient

Question 40

Center for millet improvement

Answer 40

International Crop Research Institute for the Semi Arid Tropics in India